Mauricio Palma

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Director, Initiatives and Partnerships

As director of initiatives and partnerships, Mauricio leads a number of initiatives designed to impact factors critical to a child's education, including family practices, early care and learning programs, the school system and the community at large. In addition, Mauricio provides strategic support to Silicon Valley Community Foundation's convening and civic engagement efforts.

Mauricio joined Peninsula Community Foundation in 2005, where he served as the Peninsula Partnership for Children, Youth and Families™ project manager responsible for the implementation of the San Mateo County Community Schools Initiative. Before joining SVCF, Mauricio worked with the Parent Services Project, Inc. There he developed and implemented training curriculum on family support, engagement and leadership in the context of school readiness and school-linked services, family resource centers and school districts. His voyage to PSP was launched from the Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County where he led the creation of the Spanish Speaking Family Child Care Providers Association and the organization of family support networks in San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. In the course of his professional trek, he has worked hand-in-hand with parents, teachers, directors, principals, superintendents, service providers and faith leaders interested in family support and civic engagement practices. In addition to his community work, Mauricio has taught at City College of San Francisco and San Francisco State University, and is presently teaching early childhood education for the San Mateo County Community College District.

Mauricio enjoys watching the fast changing colors of the early morning sky, capturing a verse and hanging on to the light with his camera. Most of all, he treasures the time he crafts with his wife, Nora, and daughter, Yaeli. An immigrant from Nicaragua, Mauricio graduated from Mission High School in San Francisco, California. He has a bachelor's in Latin American Studies from University of California, Santa Cruz and a master of arts in history from San Francisco State University.